# Lobster Prices Plummet! Anyone Ordering?



## Mister Moo (Sep 8, 2005)

I heard on the radio that lobster prices are in free fall, whatever that means. Anyone been ordering? Anyone in Maine, Massachusetts or New Hampster in the lobster loop with local info they care to share?


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## JohnnyFlake (May 31, 2006)

I heard the same thing twice, in the last two days. I'd love to buy a dozen around 12 ounces ea, vacuum seal and freeze them, however, I checked two local food marts and Sam's this morning and the prices are still crazy. Sam's has the nicest ones, and is the lowest price, however, still at $19.58 a pound!


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## Mister Moo (Sep 8, 2005)

JohnnyFlake said:


> I heard ... the lowest price, however, still at $19.58 a pound!


Not my idea of free-falling prices. Drat.


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## kansashat (Mar 13, 2004)

JohnnyFlake said:


> I heard the same thing twice, in the last two days. I'd love to buy a dozen around 12 ounces ea, vacuum seal and freeze them, however, I checked two local food marts and Sam's this morning and the prices are still crazy. Sam's has the nicest ones, and is the lowest price, however, still at $19.58 a pound!


Actually, $19.58 a pound is a great price for lobster, depending on what kind of lobster it is, &, I assume, what part of the country you are in.

Let me re-phrase...if you live in the midwestern USA, & that is cold water lobster, that's a great price (this would be for a tail BTW). 

P.S. Make sure you read the ingredients label & there is no sodium tripolyphosphate.


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## chippewastud79 (Sep 18, 2007)

The live lobsters near me are between $9.99 and $15.99 a pound, but then again they are Canadian lobsters, so I am not sure about the exchange rate they get when they cross the border into Kentucky


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## zackly (Jun 27, 2008)

I'm in the seafood business.
You are talking about two different items.
The $19.00 product are warm water lobster tails from the Carribean. Wholesale prices have fall since the beginning of the year from a high of $22.00 a pound to around $13.50 now. Cold water tails from Australia & S. Africa are closer to $30.00 a pound. They taste better.
Live north American lobster from Maine & Canada are selling in the $4.00-5.00 range wholesale depending on the size & condition of the shell. After lobsters molt their shells the yield of meat is less. Frequently the sales @ supermarkets are for soft shells. Ask for hard shell if available.
Look for bargains soon, especially after the holidays.


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## Mister Moo (Sep 8, 2005)

zackly said:


> I'm in the seafood business... ...Maine & Canada are selling in the $4.00-5.00 range wholesale depending on the size & condition of the shell. After lobsters molt their shells the yield of meat is less. Frequently the sales @ supermarkets are for soft shells. Ask for hard shell if available.
> 
> Look for bargains soon, especially after the holidays.


My main man, Zackly. Lobster dinner for the New Year! :tu


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## JohnnyFlake (May 31, 2006)

zackly said:


> I'm in the seafood business.
> You are talking about two different items.
> The $19.00 product are warm water lobster tails from the Carribean. Wholesale prices have fall since the beginning of the year from a high of $22.00 a pound to around $13.50 now. Cold water tails from Australia & S. Africa are closer to $30.00 a pound. They taste better.
> Live north American lobster from Maine & Canada are selling in the $4.00-5.00 range wholesale depending on the size & condition of the shell. After lobsters molt their shells the yield of meat is less. Frequently the sales @ supermarkets are for soft shells. Ask for hard shell if available.
> Look for bargains soon, especially after the holidays.


Thanks for the very helpful info. I will be watching!


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## bobarian (Oct 1, 2007)

Group Buy! :chk


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## mosesbotbol (Sep 21, 2005)

We were talking about lobster prices yesterday at work. Since I live in Boston, there's plenty of fish markets around. I am curious now. I remember paying $2.50 lb for culls.


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## bobarian (Oct 1, 2007)

mosesbotbol said:


> We were talking about lobster prices yesterday at work. Since I live in Boston, there's plenty of fish markets around. I am curious now. I remember paying *$2.50 lb for culls*.


What is a "cull"? Is that a back in the day price?


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## mosesbotbol (Sep 21, 2005)

bobarian said:


> What is a "cull"? Is that a back in the day price?


A cull is a lobster with one claw bigger than the other or a claw is missing. The lobster boats sell them for cheap as the markets are not keen on them. Ya, that was "back in the day" prices. I use to be a first mate on a Hatteras and there was a couple of lobster boats at the harbor we had a slip in.


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## zackly (Jun 27, 2008)

Back in the day when I was a chef I used to buy the complete "run" of lobsters from a fisherman who had 800 pots in Long Island Sound, CT.
The run is everything that comes out of the pots, all sizes plus the culls. We used the culls for lobster salad or quickly par- cooked the lobsters then picked the meat for sautee dishes. Culls are a great value, if you can find them in retail, because they aren't sold in most restaurants for whole lobster dinners.The meat is the same. Man, I do love lobster!
I've read that losters were so abundant (and cheap) in NY during the 19th century that they used to feed them to prison inmates so frequently that 
they rioted & got a regulation passed limiting the number of times they could be served lobster! I think it was twice weekly! Brussel sprouts I could understand but lobster?


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## wattsd (Jun 28, 2008)

I live in maine and I can get lobsters for $3.00 a pound. the fisherman here are paying more in expenses than what they are making selling the lobster. I even heard TODAY that after new years a few "buyers" (people lobsterman sell to) won't be buying any after new year....sucks to be fishing now.


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## Mister Moo (Sep 8, 2005)

zackly said:


> ...I've read that losters were so abundant (and cheap) in NY during the 19th century that they used to feed them to prison inmates so frequently that they rioted...


A rural Nova Scotia novelist recollected that, when she was young, her family had to eat lobster because it was all they could afford.


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## totallytentative (Oct 4, 2008)

zackly said:


> I've read that losters were so abundant (and cheap) in NY during the 19th century that they used to feed them to prison inmates so frequently that
> they rioted & got a regulation passed limiting the number of times they could be served lobster! I think it was twice weekly! Brussel sprouts I could understand but lobster?


I heard the same story a while ago. I know what the problem was - NO DRAWN MELTED BUTTER!


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## mosesbotbol (Sep 21, 2005)

If you love lobster, you owe yourself a visit to the Nordic Lodge in RI. This place goes through like 7K lobsters a week. They offer an "all you can eat" lobster/seafood dinner. Don't like claws? They'll give you just tails...

http://nordiclodge.com/


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## JohnnyFlake (May 31, 2006)

mosesbotbol said:


> If you love lobster, you owe yourself a visit to the Nordic Lodge in RI. This place goes through like 7K lobsters a week. They offer an "all you can eat" lobster/seafood dinner. Don't like claws? They'll give you just tails...
> 
> http://nordiclodge.com/


Will my credit card have a melt down when I pay the bill???


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## Andyman (Jun 8, 2004)

you can find live maine lobstahs on the internet. $7.50 a piece for a medium sized bugger.. The problem is it will cost you $70 to ship the little guy. Lets say we want to invite friends over for new years.. Okay we order 6 of them.. now shipping is $86 to my front door. Hmmm... I think I will pass..


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## mosesbotbol (Sep 21, 2005)

JohnnyFlake said:


> Will my credit card have a melt down when I pay the bill???


Nah, it's only like $70 a person for all you can eat. The place has a beautiful pond and horses. They limit seating to two hours, but that is twice as long as you'll need. Literally, there's a lobster on your plate within 2 minutes of sitting down. The lobster pot is 20' from your table.

I have been 3 times there and would go more, but I am too full on the ride home :hn One time we went jogging during our seating session half way through to make more room.


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